Good Men Aren't Like Buses
by Downtonluvr
Summary: John and Anna spent months travelling on the same bus to the same job but never noticed one another. That is until now. But will they act upon their feelings?


**This was in response to a prompt that my good friend, Ella encouraged me to do. The parts written in italics are memories. The rest is the current time setting. I took some creative liberties as I was having trouble writing this as a real time story in the Downton time setting. So here's a modern A/U for you all. **

**Imagine your OTP riding the same bus to work every day for months and eyeing each other but never saying a word. Then one day the bus brakes unexpectedly, sending the standing person A sprawling into the lap of the sitting person B, who blushes and stammers as they awkwardly try to help person A get upright again.**

There was nothing particularly special about that day; the events scheduled for the day were expected to be rather monotonous and routine. The weather was not worth bragging about and the scenery that rolled by John as he sat on the city bus was the same as it had been the day before. If he were being honest with himself he was no one special with hardly a penny to his name. He lived a quiet life alone and had no real friends to speak of other than his employer, Robert Crawley. The ride into work was at least another half hour and John pulled the book Robert had lent him from his brief case. He unconsciously thumbed through the pages to start the book he'd been meaning to start for months; his eyes followed the words on the page but they failed to register in his mind. This came as no surprise to him; he was silently keeping track of the number of stops left in his mind. "Two more to go," he thought to himself. John Bates was not one for certainties, but if there was one thing he knew for certain it was that there was only one thing, or rather, one person who consumed his every waking thought.

Anna.

_It had only been a few months ago, the bus heading home had been delayed in arriving just outside of Grantham House Publishing. It must have been due to the weather, the rain had been coming down hard that day. John had a tendency to be early as he was often slow to move with his cane. He had been sitting patiently on the bench at the bus stop that was, thankfully, covered by a small awning when he was taken aback by a lovely, young lady approaching him. She was holding a newspaper over her head in an attempt to stay dry and when she finally reached the bench she abandoned the sopping wet paper. _

_"Lot of good that did," Anna said to herself as she did what she could to clean herself up. Anna could only imagine how presentable she must have looked in that moment; she'd certainly have her work cut out for her when she arrived home. She dug a compact mirror out from her purse and started to put her damp hair back in place as she set her bag down beside him on the bench. She was at least a good fifteen years younger than he was and looked rather striking dressed in her business attire. She had a petite but firm frame and long blonde hair that was highlighted by her bright, blue eyes. Everything about her features appeared delicate and she exuded a quiet strength that made her a force to be reckoned with._

_"Here," he offered her the pocket square from his breast pocket. _

_"Oh," she responded with wide eyes. _

_"It's not much, but I figured you could use it to clean the water from your face," he suggested._

_"Thank you all the same," she answered in kind. Anna lightly dabbed at her face as she took her seat alongside him. _

_John tried to busy himself with the scenery and occasionally leaned forward as he tried to spot their bus. When he turned back to look at the young woman sitting beside him he was abruptly met with her hand in his face holding out the pocket square. "It's quite alright, you can keep it. I have plenty at home."_

_"Oh no, I couldn't do that," she said sweetly as she extended her hand once more in an attempt to return the item to him. _

_"Please, I insist," he replied as he strummed his fingers along his brief case and clutched his cane. _

_Anna retracted her hand and neatly folded the pocket square before placing it back in her purse. After a few moments of silence she said, "I'm sorry to bother you again, but would you happen to have the time?"_

_"No bother at all," he answered as he pulled out his pocket watch and glanced down, "It's four thirty-nine."_

_"Just my luck, I arrived early to catch the bus and it's already nine minutes behind," she said as she wrung her hands together. "I normally don't get out of the office until five or later." _

_"I take it you had somewhere important to be," he said with a look of genuine concern._

_"That's open to interpretation," she answered sarcastically as she attempted to bundle herself up tighter in her jacket. He eyed her as if waiting for further explanation and she went on to say, "My mother set me up on a blind date for the evening. I guess you could say I wasn't looking forward to it, but perhaps she's right." Anna seemed to be talking to herself more than she was to him and she was lost in her thoughts as she stared down at her toes poking through her black pumps. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be sharing my problems with a stranger." _

_John couldn't imagine a girl that looked like her would need to be set up on a date. Other than having an issue with arriving places on time she seemed to have her life fairly well organized if appearances were anything to go off of. He took the opportunity to break the silence this time. "Right about what?" he asked._

_"Hmmm?" Anna hadn't heard the question, but she was now staring him directly in the eyes._

_For a moment he lost his ability to breathe as he was captivated by her beauty. "You said your mother might be right. What did you mean by that?" John asked again and his hand flailed wildly when he asked. _

_The motion was not lost on Anna and she smiled inwardly as she tried her best to avoid meeting his gaze again. "Just that I'm getting on in my years and most women my age would have settled down by now and had one or two children. Instead, I've been so focused on my career that I have resigned myself to sitting around waiting for Mr. Right to show up." _

_"I can't speak for every man, but I rather prefer a woman who is accomplished and has goals," he said with a hint of a smile. Her silence stunned him momentarily and he cleared his throat before speaking again, "Then again...I'm not Mr. Right, far from it in fact. What would I know?" He nervously clasped his hands together and let them rest in his lap before allowing his eyes to pass over her with a sheepish glance._

_ Anna ventured a look at the humble man that sat beside her and couldn't help but take note of his large presence. He had long legs, big hands, and a strong build. His dark brown hair contrasted nicely with his fair complexion. Despite being held in place by a generous amount of pomade; somehow a single strand hung loosely just above his eyes. When her eyes met his she found herself entranced by a pair of dark green eyes that were speckled with golden and brown slivers. They drew her in and the crinkles that bordered them emitted a warm and tender emotion that she couldn't quite explain. She felt like she could open up to him and tell him her life story in an instant and she didn't even know the man's name. "Well, I don't know you that well…Mister…um?"_

_"Bates. John Bates."_

_"Mr. Bates…"_

_"John is fine."_

_"Right then, John," she paused with a smile before continuing, "but I'm sure you can't be that far off. I mean you seem nice enough."_

_"You flatter me, Miss…"_

_"Smith. Anna Smith," she mimicked his earlier response. "You can feel free to call me Anna, they only call me Miss Smith at work," she stated and he smiled broadly this time._

_"And where might that be?" he asked._

_"Grantham Publishing House," she replied._

_"You don't say?"_

_"Yes, I'm an executive assistant to Mary Crawley in the marketing department."_

_"Ah, I'm head of the editing department," he reported back. "I see Mary on occasion, odd that I never ran across you before."_

_"Why do you say that?" she asked._

_"Well because I'm good friends with her father, Robert."_

_"Wow! That is quite a coincidence that we both work in the same building and for the same people, we ride the same bus to and from work and never met," she commented._

_"I don't know that I'd call it a coincidence, more like unfortunate." Her face dropped a little and he realized that his phrasing might have come across wrong. "I meant unfortunate that we hadn't met sooner," he corrected himself and she let out a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she was holding in. "I would have loved some company on the bus…I mean that is if you wanted the company," he said nervously._

_"I'd love the company," she said with a smile. _

_Right on cue the bus showed up to take them to their destinations. John allowed her to board first and even offered her his hand to help her mount the first step of the bus. They started off sitting together but still with a considerable bit of space between them. The conversation seemed to flow seamlessly as the bus moved along at a steady pace. At one point an elderly woman needed a seat and John stood up to offer it to her; even though he had just as much right to sit down, what with his bad knee. Even as he stood across from her, holding onto the metal railing they continued with their friendly exchanges. When the elderly woman set off on her stop John looked around before sitting down again and said softly, "Alone at last."_

_Anna felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of his voice and felt that her face would split in two when she beamed at him. "It seems our private moment will be short lived," she said with a hint of sadness. "Only one more stop for me," she added._

_John tried his best not to look disappointed as he placed his bowler hat on. "Well then…guess we better say our goodbyes now. Try not to miss me," he quipped. _

_"I'll try," she joked back as she felt the bus coming to a slow again and prepared to rise from her seat. "We'll have to do this again sometime," she said sincerely as she buttoned her coat and slung her purse over her shoulder. "I better make a run for it or I'll never make it in time to meet that bloke my Mum picked out," she said and when the bus came to a sudden stop she nearly fell back into his lap._

_When she did he sprang into action and without missing a beat reached out and caught her with ease. As her head crushed against his shoulder he caught a whiff of her lilac perfume and whatever sweet smelling shampoo she had used earlier that day. As he helped her to her feet his hand grazed her thigh and he had to bite down on his lip and avert his eyes so as not to appear too excited should she have chosen to turn to look at him. He grabbed her bag from the floor and handed it back to her. "I don't know that running is the best idea in shoes like those. You can barely handle standing," he teased. She shot him a scornful look but her eyes immediately softened and he knew she was giving him a hard time. _

_"It was lovely meeting you John," she stated as she held out her hand to shake hands with him._

_"The pleasure was all mine," he said as his hand wrapped around hers. He couldn't help but notice that her hand all but disappeared into his own and the unmistakable pang that struck a chord in his heart as he felt her dainty fingers slipping from his own. As she walked off he knew he should say something more, "Anna?"_

_She swiftly turned back to face him, as if she had been anticipating that he would call upon her. "Yes," she murmured._

_"Um…" he tightened his hands around his cane as he urged the words that he knew were in his head to make themselves known. He was enchanted by her innocence, her youth, and her beauty; all the traits he lacked. "Good luck. I wish you all the best on your date tonight," he managed to say._

_She let out a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding in, "Thanks," she muttered as she tried to mask her disappointment. She did her best to force a smile upon her face as she exited the bus. Even though she was running late she stood there to see him off. Standing at the bus stop as she stared up at him in the window of the bus while he kept his eyes transfixed on her. She slowly trailed in the same direction as the bus; almost in mourning as she made her way to her flat that was two blocks away. _

As he sat there reminded of their first encounter, he thought of all the other meetings and exchanges between them in the months that would follow. Anna's date that night had not gone well but John felt that he had missed his chance to strike while the iron was hot. By now she would have thought of him as nothing more than a friend and when he really thought about it, he supposed it was for the best. What could he possibly offer that would have appealed to her?

He still enjoyed her company and he was glad to have a friend, aside from Robert. Some days they would exchange stories, other days she would ask him to share with her what he was reading or editing, and there were the quiet stolen glances they would exchange with knowing smiles. In the few months since that first meeting they had gotten to know each other quite well and he had to admit that he loved all of those moments with Anna. He felt the bus come to a stop and he was shaken from his thoughts, just then he looked up to greet her with his eyes.

She sat beside him, although it was much closer than it had been that first time, it was still never close enough for John. "Ah, I see you brought us tea this morning. That was very thoughtful of you," he said.

"It was no problem. I brought you these as well," she gestured as she opened the tin box she had been holding under her arm.

His eyes widened like a child as he exclaimed, "Chocolate biscuits! These are my favorite."

"I know you told me before," she reminded him.

"And you remembered?" he asked sounding surprised.

"Of course, I remember everything you say," she admitted almost too hastily. Her cheeks blushed; the vocalization of her confession nearly shocked herself. While there was truth to her statement and she had thought it many times before, she had never once said it aloud before.

John flashed a smile at her words as he methodically took his time choosing a biscuit from the tin container. "You spoil me. I'll have to find some way to return the favor," he said kindly before sinking his teeth into the biscuit.

Later that afternoon Anna arrived at the bus stop as usual to find John already waiting there and felt a smile creep up the sides of her mouth. He hadn't noticed her yet and she guarded her heart as best she could, for she knew after months of being with a man she had fallen for, he had not offered his hand in return. That didn't mean she wouldn't still put her best foot forward. Her hair was slightly damp from the light rain that had fallen, but she brushed it back and away from her face.

When she approached him his eyes lit up but his face turned to dismay, "Oh no, I was hoping I'd get to see you before it had started raining."

"And why is that?" she sounded intrigued.

"I stopped in the city today with Robert to meet with a client. When we were there I passed a small gift shop and got you this," John said as he turned back to retrieve the item.

"Oh you didn't have to get me anything," she insisted.

"Yes, I did. I knew you'd never get one for yourself," he noted as he handed her an umbrella.

"You…you got me an umbrella?" she asked.

"Yes."

"But why?" she said as she turned the object over in her hand, eyeing it with suspicion.

"Well, so you wouldn't get wet of course. Nothing worse than being caught unprepared in a storm," he said matter-of-factly.

"I wish you'd just come out with it," she demanded.

Her voice sounded much more forceful than he was used to and his eyebrows raised, he didn't quite know how to answer her request. "Anna?"

"What are we playing at here?" her voice shook, almost uncontrollably.

"Playing? We aren't playing at anything. We are friends," his voice was steadfast.

"Is that all?" she asked. Only this time her voice warbled with emotion, but she managed to keep herself from crying.

He stood up staring into the street before him not answering her. Finally, he turned back to face her and replied, "That is all we can be. I'm afraid I would be no good to you as anything more than friends."

"Is it because…is it because you don't love me?"

John mulled over her words. He had always been a man of few words, but something had changed in him these last few months. He had never opened up to anyone else the way he had with Anna and he knew if he didn't offer her an answer he would run the risk of losing her. "On the contrary, I love you more than I should."

She pursed her lips together before challenging him, "Prove it."

"Prove it?"

"Yes, prove it John. Or I'll take a cab and find some other mode of transportation starting tomorrow," she threatened.

John threw one hand up in the air looking exasperated as he tried to find the right words. He used his other hand to lean on his cane. Without even thinking the words came tumbling out, "My favorite day of the week is Monday." She scoffed aloud but he raised his hand as if to silence her so that he could continue. "My favorite day of the week is Monday, because after going all weekend without seeing you it's a relief to see your face again." This time she smiled and he knew he better continue before he lost whatever courage he had left. "Most people hate waking up to go to work but I love it, because I know I'll get to sit next to you for a half hour each morning. It doesn't even matter if you are talking to me or not. I just enjoy your company." He fought past the sob that was building in his throat, "I love when you call me a 'silly beggar' and look at me like I've lost my mind. And how you insist I read poetry to you aloud on the bus. I wouldn't do that for anyone but you."

"Is that it?" she asked playfully with tears in her eyes. And she fought the urge to jump up into his arms right then and there.

"No," he replied resolutely. "I love when you laugh so hard that you snort a little and try to cover it up. I adore that you aren't a morning person, because it means there is a chance you will fall asleep on my shoulder as we ride into work. You talk in your sleep by the way, but somehow you're gorgeous even when you do that."

Her hand flew up to her mouth as she covered it in embarrassment.

John stepped forward and gently pulled the hand that covered her mouth away and held it in his. He let his thumb roll over her knuckles and caressed the skin there lovingly. He took a deep breath before whispering in a low voice, "I hate the evenings, because I know that I'll have to say 'goodbye' to you. And every time I do, I wonder if it will be the last time. I worry that you'll meet a better man and that you'll tell me we can't share our seat on the bus together anymore."

She looked up in his eyes and saw nothing but love and tenderness emanating there. Anna squeezed the hand that held hers and used her free hand to wipe away her tears. She stood up to meet his face and tilted his chin down so that she could ensure he heard her words. "I couldn't meet a better man, because there isn't one." John shook his head in disagreement and began to argue with her, but she placed her finger over his lips and silenced him. "When I look at you I see a good man. They're not like buses. There won't be another one along in ten minutes time."

He smiled back at her lovingly with his crinkle filled eyes. His breathing became heavy as the anticipation built in the pit of his stomach and he felt that his heart would beat out of his chest. With his one hand he cradled her around her waist and pulled her closer. His other hand released the cane and his fingers wove into her hair as he guided her towards his lips. John let his lips crash upon hers desperately as he tried to convey all the unspoken feelings he had been experiencing for the last few months in a single action. He felt her smile through the kiss and he pulled back long enough to press a kiss against her temple before embracing her in his arms fully. "I love you, Anna," he said clearly.

"And I, you," she responded with a smile written across her face.


End file.
